


storm clouds

by Oceantail



Series: Oceantail's ATLA fics [5]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: (aangst hehe), (kinda), Air Nomads (Avatar), Angst, Fire Nation (Avatar), Friendship, Gen, Imperialism, Nationalism, Politics, Pre-100 Year War (Avatar TV), Propaganda, kuzon's parents forbid him from being friends with aang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:40:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24941716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oceantail/pseuds/Oceantail
Summary: "...there are troubling signs. Storm clouds are gathering."-GyatsoOr, a look into how Sozin's propaganda campaign halted a friendship.Because Sozin wasn't just sitting around for 12 years after Roku died.
Relationships: Aang & Kuzon (Avatar)
Series: Oceantail's ATLA fics [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805656
Comments: 10
Kudos: 79





	storm clouds

“Wow, mom! This roast duck is delicious!!” 

His mother smiled warmly, “Thank you, dear. I used the new spice blend your sister bought from the store.” 

Aki grinned triumphantly, “The newest blend on the market! _And_ I got them for a bargain deal!” she crowed. 

“Well they’re great!” Kuzon exclaimed, turning to his older sister. 

“Yeah they are!” she said. Then with a teasing gleam in her eyes, “bet you couldn't do it!” she taunted, going to poke him with her chopsticks. 

“Hey!” Kuzon said, trying to jab her back with his own pair. She retaliated, of course, and a chopstick poke war broke out between them, the siblings laughing as they tried to parry and attack. 

Their mother watched them, shaking her head good-naturedly. “Children please stop playing with your chopsticks. It’s very disrespectful.” 

“C’mon mom!” Kuzon said, “It's funnnn. Besides Aki and I—”

“Kuzon, we need to talk.” His father’s cold voice cut into the playful teasing like a knife. The temperature in the room seemed to drop 10 degrees. 

Kuzon froze. “Me?” he asked. 

Aki and Kuzon stopped poking each other and turned to face their father at the head of the table. 

“Ah... that.” His mother frowned. “Darling, do we really have to talk about that now? In the middle of dinner?” 

“Aki, go to your room.” 

“What? Dad, I didn’t even finish dinner yet!” 

“Do not argue with me, Aki,” he said. “We’ll call you back down.” 

She hesitated for a moment, then stood to leave, shooting her brother a worried and sympathetic look before vanishing past the doorway. 

Kuzon’s hands twisted together nervously. “Am I in trouble?” 

“No no, you’re not in trouble Kuzon,” his mother soothed. “This is just a talk.” 

“It's about that Air Nation boy, Kuzon,” his father said calmly. “I don’t think he's a good influence on you.”

“Aang?” Kuzon frowned in confusion, “What? Why not? Aang's _great!_ Just the other day we went racing around the-”

“That’s what I’m talking about Kuzon!” his father interrupted. “He’s wild and undisciplined. The other day, I read a research paper Fire Lord Sozin issued out about how damaging their upbringing is.” 

“Your father’s right,” his mother added sadly. She shook her head, “they aren’t brought up with parents and they all just live in one place! There's simply no order and structure in their lives.” 

Kuzon scowled, “What are you _talking_ about?! That pamphlet is wrong!”

“Kuzon!” his father interjected, “This pamphlet was issued out by Fire Lord Sozin. Do not disrespect the Fire Lord!” 

“But- but,” Kuzon spluttered out, scrambling to find the words, “There’s nothing wrong with all living in one temple! And- and Aang has Monk Gyatso! He said that he’s like a father to him!” 

“That’s exactly the point,” his mother said patiently. “Father _figure._ That’s not a real father. And what about the boy’s mother? It’s important that children have a mother _and_ father to care for them.” She reached behind her and grabbed a scroll of the table pushing it towards Kuzon. “Here, take a look at this.”

Still glowering, Kuzon gingerly picked up the scroll then unfurled an inch to read the heading. “The Harmful Effects of Communal Living,” he read out loud. “An in-depth study of the Air Nation’s family structure, or lack thereof. Research conducted by-” he cut himself off, roughly closing the scroll to avoid reading more. 

“It’s conducted by several professors at the Royal Fire Academy,” his mother finished, frowning at Kuzon’s refusal to read more. “This study was expressly authorized and funded by the Fire Lord himself.” 

“I’m telling you right now, Kuzon,” his father said gravely. “This boy is a bad influence. I absolutely forbid you from meeting up with him.” 

The scroll crumpled in Kuzon’s hand, “You can’t do that!” 

“Kuzon!” his father snapped, “Do not talk back to your parents, I did not raise you to—” 

Kuzon interrupted him, words rushing out, and his volume grew steadily louder. “I don’t get it! All these years, you were fine with Aang! You thought he was nice and funny and- and we even had him over for dinner a few times! And now you won’t even say his name!” 

His mother sighed. “Kuzon, please. This is for your own good. Think about it. How can you focus on your studies and get a good job when you spend time with someone so uncivilized and undisciplined?” 

“Aang's not uncivilized OR undisciplined,” he retorted hotly. “Sure, he likes to have _fun,_ but he’s one of the most disciplined people I know!” His fist around the scroll tightened. “He’s so close to becoming a master and getting his tattoos and he’s only 11!” 

Kuzon ran out of breath. Staring at his parent’s resolute and disappointed faces, he tried to change gears. “I mean, I- I thought you would want me to spend time with a prodigy.” 

His father’s eyes were cold. “Can he firebend? Is he a firebending prodigy? The answer is no.” He snatched back the crumpled scroll in Kuzon’s hand and smoothed it out before handing back to his wife. “There is no value in hanging around an _airbender_ ,” he spat out the last word like it was poison. 

“Dad, please—”

“This conversation is over, Kuzon. You are not to see that boy again and don’t think for one moment that we appreciate your attitude tonight.” 

“Please try to understand, dear,” his mother pleaded, clutching the scroll anxiously, “We just want what’s best for you.” 

Kuzon looked away and closed his eyes in defeat. There was nothing else he could say. 

  
  


~~

  
  


“I don’t understand! Why won’t they let us be friends?” 

Kuzon winced, hands yanking at the grass he was sitting on, “They- they said really horrible things about the Air Nomads and they think that you’re a bad influence on me even though I told them it wasn’t true!”

“What? What did they say?” 

“I- I don’t want—” he said, struggling to get words out. Kuzon looked down. “I'm sorry Aang,” he said finally. 

“It’s ok,” Aang said morosely, chin on his hand. 

“But we’re still friends though!” Kuzon said hurriedly. “Even if I can’t see you! Only- well, only if you still want to.” 

“Of course I do!” Aang exclaimed, turning to face him, “We’ll _always_ be friends.” 

Kuzon nodded, taking a deep breath. “It’ll be ok, Aang.” Then he brightened, “When I grow up we can meet up again! My parents can’t forbid me from having fun with you if we’re grown-ups!”

Aang grinned back, standing up in excitement. “Yeah!! That’s a great idea! We just have to wait a few years before we can go play Kuai ball and hide and explode! 

Kuzon stood too. “Thanks Aang,” he opened his arms for a hug and Aang tackled him into a tight embrace, nearly knocking him over.

“Guess I’ll see you in a few years, Hotman!” Aang replied, releasing him after the crushing hug.

Kuzon smiled and patted his friend in the shoulder. “You too!” he replied. “Say hi to Appa for me!” 

Aang saluted, “Will do!” 

  
They laughed. 

Eventually, the moment passed and silence hung in the air. A sense of foreboding Kuzon had never felt before washed over him, like the cold chill before a storm. Strangely enough, he could tell Aang felt it too. He shivered, then pushed it away. 

After a few seconds, his friend smiled crookedly again, but his expression was tinged with sadness. “Take care Kuzon,” Aang said, voice more subdued. 

He nodded back, “You too, Aang.” 

Aang walked a few paces, glancing over his shoulder as he went. Then, he unfurled his glider and took off with a burst of airbending that tossed bits of leaves and dirt into the air.

Kuzon watched him go, his friend’s figure slowly becoming smaller and smaller up in the clouds. 

And then he was gone. 

**Author's Note:**

> I would love it if you dropped a comment/kudos! <3
> 
> The chopstick poke war is something I’ve done as a kid and it was great


End file.
